What You Should Know About Colorectal Cancer and Its Screening

11. Feb 2025 | General, Live healthier, Patient rights

At around 5 meter long, the bowel is not only one of our largest organs, but also plays an important role in our health.  That’s why we want to share in this article some essential information on the important topic of colorectal cancer and how to prevent it.

Bowel cancer (or colorectal carcinoma) is a malignant cancer of the colon or rectum. In Germany, this is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer in men, with an average onset age of 70 years. The large intestine is more commonly affected by malignant tumors than the small intestine, as the content of the intestine and therefore the potentially carcinogenic substances remain in it for much longer. Malignant bowel cancer usually develops from a benignant adenoma (polyp), and a combination of internal and external causes and risk factors is suspected for the development of this disease.

 

What Are the Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer?

Common risk factors in society are smoking, alcohol, obesity, a diet poor in fibers and rich in fat, as well as being over 40. Moreover, there are some genetic traits that make people more susceptible to this cancer and are therefore associated with a higher incidence in families. Some diseases are also known to be linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, e.g. colorectal adenomas and inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis.

 

What Are Possible Symptoms of the Disease?

Symptoms of colorectal cancer often only become noticeable at an advanced stage. In addition to possible so-called B-Symptoms such as fever, night sweats, weight loss and general fatigue, changes in bowel movements can also occur. Constipation, diarrhea or blood discharge during bowel movements are possible.

 

How Can You Prevent It?

Everyone can take action to prevent colorectal cancer!  The first step is to inform yourself about the disease and your options.  You can also influence most of the risk factors yourself. If you do not have a genetic predisposition, a few changes to your lifestyle can already have an impact.

Exercising regularly and normalizing your weight can have an effect on the risk of bowel cancer, as well as abstaining from nicotine and limiting alcohol consumption. At the same time, a diet rich in fiber with a lot of fruits and vegetable as well as a limited consumption of red or processed meat can contribute to reducing the risk.  Changing your lifestyle can seem difficult at first, but it is definitely worth it.

As far as prevention is concerned, you will also receive support. In Germany, your doctor and your health insurance  will actively support you in its prevention.   German health insurances cover the costs of screening for the prevention of colorectal cancer for their insured starting from an age of 50 years old.  To ensure that more people take advantage of bowel cancer screening, since July 1st 2019, people with statutory health insurance have been informed and invited by post from their health insurance to bowel cancer screening.

 

Your GP Can Advise You on This Topic!

Colonoscopy plays an important role in the early detection of colorectal cancer. During a colonoscopy, preliminary stages of a malignant tumor, e.g. polyps, can be detected and removed. As not only identification but also direct intervention is possible during colonoscopy, it currently constitutes the standard procedure in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

If someone does not feel at ease with a colonoscopy, there is another option for screening. A rectal discharge of blood is not necessarily visible to the naked eye, but can indicate an ulcer in the bowel. The occult blood test is a reliable method to detect hidden blood in the stool. The test will be handed out to you by your GP, gynecologist, urologist or an internal medicine doctor, and you can take it with you and perform it yourself at home. However, since not all ulcers in the bowel bleed, the occult blood test cannot detect all of them.

 

Who Is Entitled to a Screening? – Not Valid Outside of Germany

Everyone with statutory health insurance in Germany from the age of 50 is entitled to a yearly fecal occult blood test (every 2 years starting from the age of 55). If you prefer to have a colonoscopy, you can opt for this instead of the occult blood test. Colonoscopies are covered for women over 55 and for men over 50, for a total of two times with a minimum interval of 10 years.

Special screening guidelines apply to people at risk (e.g. first-degree relatives of people with bowel cancer or people with a high-risk disease).

We at mediteo have made it our mission not only to remind you of your medication intake, but also to strengthen your self-efficacy and further education in health issues. We are also happy to help you keep track of your next appointment for colorectal cancer screening.

 

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